He works justice for those who are pressed down by the world, providing food for those who are hungry. He frees those who are imprisoned; He makes the blind see. He lifts up those whose backs are bent in labor; He cherishes those who do what is right. (Psalm 146:7-8) |
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| February I’ve been very focused on complete surrender to the Lord, and trusting His leadership. I know that what He wants will come to pass, regardless of my opinions or preferences. As Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6 say, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Now grab a cup of coffee and find out what we've been up to! |
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Valentine's Day Cupcakes Courtney's grandparents gifted residents with a sweet Valentine's Day activity, which was fun for all involved. Valentine's Day can be a particularly difficult day for many survivors, as they may have traumatic memories of being exploited on this day, or be separated from their own loved ones as they pursue healing. |
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Our First Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Walk We partnered with local leaders to organize our first local Human Trafficking Awareness Walk. Local residents came out to watch, participate, ask questions, and learn about sexual exploitation in Rhea County and surrounding areas. But that wasn’t all… |
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| January Was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month… …and were we busy! This month we represented the ranch at the Are You Awake Conference, presented by WillowBend Farms, which was focused on preventing human trafficking and protecting children from exposure to drugs. |
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This event brought dozens of agencies and individuals together for training and collaboration to better counter human trafficking. We were proud to have a booth at the event so that attendees could learn about our mission. We also participated in the Tennessee Statewide Women's Policy Conference, the One Voice Collective and the new Counter-Trafficking Alliance of Chattanooga (CTAC) (the link takes you to a one-minute YouTube with some video and photos of the meeting - if you’re sharp, you’ll see a photo of me). These events allow us to both make our presence known to a wider community, and bring our perspective to the conversation. |
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Mark Your Calendar - The Next Hootenanny Is Scheduled! Mark your calendar NOW for September 27, 2024 (the last Friday of September) to attend our 9th Annual Hootenanny, held at the same venue as last year, Mountain Heights. We hope to offer a more streamlined auction, with fewer (but more exciting!) items. Stay tuned for more in the coming months. |
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| Openings for New Residents As we’ve said before, healing from trauma is hard, painful work, and not everyone is up for it. We recently said goodbye to of our residents, who decided not to continue with our program. We were forced to let another resident go (she has been accepted into another program); in next month’s newsletter, we will explain how and when we make the difficult decision to let residents go. |
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Family Corner Josiah has been having trouble with controlling his blood sugar, so we are looking at an insulin pump for him. Jordyn is recovering from her second foot surgery - no more flat feet! Dakota has decided to try out for soccer. |
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I’m finding that physical therapy is helping with my knees, giving me additional strength and flexibility. Sadly, it is no substitute for the surgery I’ll still need to have, currently scheduled for the fall. David is content…he and I are grateful that his position at Bryan College will mean free tuition for our kids when the time comes - and it’s coming fast! |
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Answered Prayer: Thank you for all of your prayers for Christine, our resident who will launch next week. We trust that the Lord now has His Hand on her life. Praise God for the woodworking class residents got to take so that we could do some improvements here at the ranch. We thank the Lord that all of our staff has remained safe through our recent snow days. |
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| What Are The "Red Flags" that someone is being trafficked? Last month was National Human Trafficking Awareness month. Do you know the “red flags” that might indicate someone is being trafficked? Learn more at this link. |
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Please pray for healing and restoration for the two residents who left our program. Please pray for Christine as she becomes fully independent. Please pray for Josiah’s health and the provision of an insulin pump, if that is the best solution. Please pray that our recent collaborations will bear fruit. |
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| Become a Freedom Wrangler and Free Her to Hope |
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Would you consider hosting a meeting with your philanthropically-minded friends? We would be happy to visit your home and make a brief presentation about our mission to people you think would like to support us financially. Do you have a friend (or friends) who would also be willing to pray for us? If so, please forward this email to them or post this email on your social media account. Want to read a past newsletter? You can find them all here. Finally, let us know what you think (and please feel free to unsubscribe using the link below if you don't want future newsletters). We'll look forward to hearing from you! |
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